The Ministry of Education (MoE) has developed an online module to compile Out of School Children (OoSC) data identified by each State, Union Territories (UT) and their mapping with Special Training Centres (STC) on the PRABANDH Portal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha stated at the 17th Lok Sabha monsoon session.
The remark came in response to a question tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday by Dhanush M Kumar and Gajanan Kirtikar, Member(s) of Parliament.
The monsoon session started on July 18, 2022 and will end on August 13, 2022.
According to the written reply of the Union Education Minister, the concerned State and UT validates the child wise information of the identified OoSC and STC uploaded by the concerned Block. He further added that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, mandates the appropriate Government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child of the age of six to 14 years in a neighbourhood school.
Pradhan further mentioned in the written reply that for the first time in 2021-22, under Samagra Shiksha, financial assistance upto Rs 2,000 per annum has been envisioned to support Out of School Children of age group of 16-19 years, belonging to socio economically disadvantaged groups, for completing their education through NIOS/SIOS, for accessing course materials and certification.
He added that under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to States and UTs for undertaking various activities to reduce number of Out of School Children (OoSC) including opening and strengthening of new schools upto senior secondary level, construction of school buildings and additional classrooms, setting up, up-gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, setting up of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, free uniforms to eligible children and free text books at elementary level, transport allowance and undertaking enrolment and retention drives. Further, as per the written reply by the minister, financial assistance is provided to the children with special needs along with aids and appliances, braille kits and books, appropriate teaching learning material and stipend to girl students with disability among others.
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